As injuries mount, there’s one constant for the Hornets: It’s all about Brandon Miller
Surveying the court just a few feet away and knowing how many players were missing, no one probably would’ve blamed Charles Lee if he wanted to vent.
Asking pro tennis player Frances Tiafoe to throw on the personalized pinstriped teal jersey he had slung over his shoulder probably could’ve flown too, given the amount of injuries the Charlotte Hornets coach has to navigate. But Lee, in his first full season at the head of the bench, refuses to get angry or despondent.
“I have so much faith and belief and confidence in these guys,” Lee said after practice Friday. “It’s because of the work that we do everyday. It’s because of their focus level and attention. When we’re watching film, their curiosity. But I also just believe that we are growing day by day.
“And it’s hard not to be encouraged when you see that you are in almost every game. … So, I’m highly encouraged by the group, their character and competitiveness.”
Looking at the bright side of the spectrum has to be tough on occasion, though, particularly with the Hornets’ injury list adding another name on Thursday night, when rookie Tidjane Salaün sprained his left ankle in the first quarter and didn’t return in their loss to the Knicks. He’s listed as out for Saturday’s matinee against Cleveland at Spectrum Center.
“I feel for him, but it’s part of the sport,” Lee said. “It’s also one of those moments that kind of just makes you stronger. Even what the whole team is going through right now. We’ve had to find a lot of ways to keep playing and keep competing. I think we are growing stronger, we are growing together.
“And it’s going to make us better in the long run.”
Salaün joins LaMelo Ball (sore calf), Miles Bridges (right knee bone bruise), Tre Mann (low back) and Grant Williams (ACL) on Charlotte’s walking wounded — a list that got shortened a bit over the last week with Mark Williams returning from a foot issue and Nick Richards back in the mix after a shoulder problem shelved him for a month.
However, Richards’ name appears on the injury report again after spraining his right ankle in the third quarter against the Knicks, and his availability for their outing with the Cavaliers is in question.
Bridges is still doing just individual activities, and Ball and Mann are on track to be re-evaluated next week, keeping in tune with the team’s timeline.
“We’ve had a lot of big injuries, a lot of players go down,” Brandon Miller said. “I think it’s just the mindset of how we get back. They’ve been doing a great job of just coming in everyday and getting what they need for their bodies, and doing everything that helps them come back even stronger.
“I think we are just going to keep doing that and come back soon.”
One small silver lining in the Hornets’ early-season struggles keeping everyone healthy: Miller’s production is blossoming to impressive levels, despite the second-year swingman becoming more of a defensive focal point.
Heading into their matchup with the Cavaliers, Miller produced at least 20 points in nine straight games, marking the longest span of his career. He’s also drained a 3-pointer in 31 straight games and nailed multiple 3-pointers in 11 straight games, each representing career bests.
Over his last 10 contests, he averaged 26.7 points per game and five made 3-pointers while shooting 40.3 percent from beyond the arc, joining Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards as the only players to meet those thresholds.
“It’s confidence,” Miller said. “Confidence is high. Everybody is loving the game. It’s sad we’ve got injuries, but it’s part of the game. I think just everybody playing at a high level, boosting each other’s confidence, I think we will be great.”
In the meantime, he’ll keep finding ways to benefit from the extra attention.
“He’s a guy that I’m just really happy for,” Lee said. “He’s had to shoulder a bigger responsibility with a lot of the injuries going on right now. You can see that teams are throwing multiple high-level defenders at him. They are bringing an extra level of physicality, they are showing different coverages. They’re switching him sometimes, they’re blitzing him sometimes.
“And I also think outside of his play is his overall leadership and demeanor is just improving game by game. And he’s just maturing in such a great way.”
